“Across the country, other addiction advocates and terrified parents are similarly pushing policymakers to expand the use of involuntary commitment laws as a tool to combat the opioid epidemic. It’s a controversial tactic, with logistical and constitutional implications.

“What are we locking people into, for how long, and what happens afterwards?” asked Dr. Sarah Wakeman, medical director for substance use disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital, who said studies suggest coerced treatment is not effective. “If we are going to be removing someone’s autonomy … it’s concerning if we’re doing that in a way that’s not even effective over the long term.”

But proponents argue it’s a vital, last-resort option at a time when the opioid crisis is killing more than 90 Americans every day.